He cited a statistic that almost a third of Americans don't know a single neighbor by name. "There's so many ways our neighbors can help us," he added, "and technology can play a role in bringing back the sense of community to the neighborhood."
Nextdoor can be used to find a babysitter, track down a lost pet and even apprehend potential burglars. "Many times users have used NextDoor to warn each other about suspicious activity and either prevent or at time apprehend criminals that are trying to cause mischief in their neighborhoods," he said.
Tolia said that 100,000 messages each day on Nextdoor are related to crime and safety. "We live in a world where local governments are under budget pressure and we need to find ways to use technology and social media for safety and crime prevention," he said.
With the service now in 8,000 neighborhoods, Tolia said, "it's all about connecting and communicating with the people around you."
The company, which launched in 2011 and has raised $40 million in financing, has some high-profile backers, including Google Ventures, Allen & Co. and Greylock Partners.
On Wednesday, Nextdoor announced $21.6 million in financing that the company plans to use for market and platform expansion.